Technology Convergence mapping

This [future] technology convergence mapping visual allows users to better understand how and when in the future certain technologies will merge into new, hybrid-style technologies. Each chart created is bases on the basic Sankey chart principle, and offers a variety of ways to view the technological interactions and merges through the considered time interval. Each chart should be read from left to right, with the left-hand most column of technology icons representing the currently existing technologies listed in the underlying data catalogue. All future technologies and technology mergers are progressively displayed to the right of these, at 5-year intervals, up to 20 years into the future. The links between successive technologies are coloured to encode the generational number that each technology exists in (e.g. 1st generation, 2nd generation etc.)

Once the user has selected the converge visualisation to use via the main lading page of the Human Interface Horizon tool, they are presented with a technology selector page, similar in nature to that provided on the comparison timelines visualisation. Here the user can select up to five currently catalogued, existing technologies to ternate a bespoke interactive visualisation for, to outline suggested, proposed technologies mergers that may generate new hybrid technological capabilities that may be adopted in the UK Military in the near future (next 20 years).

Technology convergence mapping - time domain mapping

Each chart is initially display along a chronological time domain x-axis, using crude 5-year step intervals as ‘markers’ for when future technologies may likely come into existence via merging of easier historical technologies.

Convergence tool display options dialog

Allows user to modify the time domain on the x-axis

Technology Convergence mapping - equal intervals/spacing

Users may modify the x-axis domain view from a time domain to an equal-interval domain to produce less cluttered mapping view if they have selected technologies that generate an overly complex, cluttered display. Occasionally the majority of the information and technology nodes are displayed to the left-hand extent of the chart; this chart modification allows for a better, more readable chart to be generated.

Technology information tool-tips

Additional value-added information is provided to the user via information tooltips that exist when the user hovers the mouse over any any technology node, regardless of whether it is an existing technology or a future emerging technology.

Technology node re-positioning

To further improve the layout if needed, for example when technology nodes and node links are masking each other, the user is also able to reposition individual nodes by click-holding a single node and dragging it to a new location in the chart space. Note though an individual node can only be dragged and repositioned in the plane, so that the relationship to the time domain is not lost.

In this example , the top -most three nodes on the ‘In 15 years’ horizon and the only node on the ‘In 20 years’ horizon have been translated upwards on the axis plane.